The recent post on David Hasselhoff got me thinking about one hit wonders in Swimming.
Tracy Wickam for 1978's world records in 400 & 800 Free
......4:06 & 8:24 I think....and didn't it take Janet Evans to break these records ?????? Someone may remember this....
Any other one hit wonders ??? (or brief stays at the top?)
Originally posted by Swimmer Bill
In a way, it's unfair to call any of these swimmers one-hit wonders because all rose through the ranks, worked their way to the top, and had several great swims along the way.
In terms of the Olympics, I think Nelson Diebel is my favorite one-hit wonder. Diebel had a pretty good run, but it didn't last long. He didn't do much after he won the gold in the 100 *** at the 1992 Olympics. Diebel also won a gold on the medley relay, but I think of his 100 *** Olympic gold as an Olympic one-hit wonder. He also had a couple good "b" sides, like his 53.84 in the 100 yard *** when he was still in high school.
Diebel's teammate, Royce Sharp was another Olympic one-hit wonder. After he broke the American record in the 200 back (in 1992) he failed to final in Barcelona and never returned to the Olympics...and even though he was on some great teams at Michigan, he didn't have too much international success after his AR in 1992. Diebel and Sharp attended my Almer Mater, the Peddie School in Hightstown, New Jersey, where they were part of one of the most dominant high school swimming programs in history. BJ Bedford was also on that team, as was Jim Wells and Jane Skillman.
And even though he didn't have his greatest success at the Olympics, you could probably add Roque Santos to that group. His participation in Masters demonstrates longevity that is not really characteristic of a one-hit wonder. But on the international scene, Roque's crowning moment was the upset win over Barrowman in the 200 *** at the '92 trials.
One last favorite one-hit wonder was Sean Killion, the former American record holder in the 800 free (and 1992 Olympian in the 1500). He held the record for several years, but only went to the Olympics once, in one event, and didn't final. When I say he "only" went to one Olympics, that is of course a little tongue in cheek! Sean and I swam on the Willingboro Country Club team, and later at Jersey Wahoos.
SB
I am in agreement with you that its unfair calling these swimmers one-hit wonders because again the term applies to someone that is here today, gone the next. The majority of people are no hit wonders in swimming because they never know the pressures or process to get to be a one-hit wonders. I personally know someone's son that swam with all three of the people you mention here (Diebel, Sharp, Bedford) at the Peddie School under Chris Martin and he swam with me in the early 1990's in USMS. He used to tell me all sorts of stories about these swimmers. I will comment on each swimmer.
Nelson Diebel was very successfull before the 1992 Olympics winning 7 US Swimming National titles but if I remember correctly he was always getting into trouble and had disipline problems in his younger years. I remember reading an ariticle about him and the Peddie Schools swimmers back in 1990 and from I remember because of these exploits he was lucky to swimming at all. He went on to swim for Princeton but never regained the fire he had prior to the Olympics when he won the Gold medal and set an American Record. His victory over Norman Roza in the 100 *** was considered a major upset at the games because Norman was the double World Champion and favored to win. Nelson Diebel's win was the first Gold medal won in swimming for the USA at the start of the Olympics.
I have to disagree with you about Royce Sharp. True he did not place in the 200 Back after winning the Olympic Trials but he said that it was a case of being nervous and never facing pressure that made him swim almost 2 seconds slower than his best time. I believe he placed 11th but refused to swim in the consolation finals because he was dissappointed at not making the finals and medaling. Therefore he denied himself a chance to place by himself. He came back from this by placing 1st in the 200 meter Back at the 1993 Pan Pacific Championships going a 1:58.86, which was only .20 slower than is American Record. In 1994 at the World Championships in Rome he placed 3rd in the 200 with a time of 1:59.21. He was going to train for the 1996 Olympics but decided he did not want to risk the time after his college eligibility was up. All during this time he contributed to the 1995 NCAA Championship while swimming at University of Michigan.
BJ Bedford really struggled while trying to make the Olympic team after 4 tries. I believe she was a Gold medalist in 200 Back and a Silver medalist in the 100 Back at the 1993 Pan Pacific Championships. She was also a bronze medalist in the 1994 World Championships in the 100 Back. At the 1995 Pan American Games she was a double Gold medalist in both Backstrokes. With this success, she still came up short on her 3rd attempt to make an Olympic team. But the no hits from 3 attemps became a one hit in 2000. You can read the story linked here:
www.csi.org/.../Failure.htmwww.pacpubserver.com/.../bj.html
Also I have to disagree with you about Sean Killion. Sean is the only American swimmer to ever defeat Vladmir Salnikov in a distance free event at major championship. In fact the only other American to defeat Sanikov was Jeff Kostoff in a 400 SCM Free at a minor meet in 1983. Sean accomplished this at the 1986 Goodwill Games in the 400 Meter Free. It was a very close and exciting race with .09 separating the two swimmers. (3:51.91 to 3:52.00). What is impressive about this is that he did it in Moscow. No other American had ever done that even though everyone was looking forward to a Brian Goodell/Vladmir Salnikov showdown that was not to be because of the boycott. Sean Killion did not make the 1988 Olympic team but came back 4 years later to make the 1992 Olympic team. He held the American Record for 15 years in the 800 LCM Free and that is one of the longest AR ever even though American distance swimming was not what it once was when we were dominating in the World Rankings in the 1970's. Read his story here:
www.southjerseynews.com/.../vm030405b.htmwww.courierpostonline.com/.../m070305d.htm
I not sure about Rocque Santos. The only thing I remember about him besides his upset at the 1992 Olympic Trials is that he was part of probably the best workout combination of world class breastrokers when he was training with Mike Barrowman and Sergio Lopez. In fact both Barrowman and Lopez broke the World Record in the 200 *** at the 1990 Goodwill games and I believe that was the first World Record for Barrowman. All 3 of these guys training together with Yoseph Nagey in the early 1990's.
Originally posted by Swimmer Bill
In a way, it's unfair to call any of these swimmers one-hit wonders because all rose through the ranks, worked their way to the top, and had several great swims along the way.
In terms of the Olympics, I think Nelson Diebel is my favorite one-hit wonder. Diebel had a pretty good run, but it didn't last long. He didn't do much after he won the gold in the 100 *** at the 1992 Olympics. Diebel also won a gold on the medley relay, but I think of his 100 *** Olympic gold as an Olympic one-hit wonder. He also had a couple good "b" sides, like his 53.84 in the 100 yard *** when he was still in high school.
Diebel's teammate, Royce Sharp was another Olympic one-hit wonder. After he broke the American record in the 200 back (in 1992) he failed to final in Barcelona and never returned to the Olympics...and even though he was on some great teams at Michigan, he didn't have too much international success after his AR in 1992. Diebel and Sharp attended my Almer Mater, the Peddie School in Hightstown, New Jersey, where they were part of one of the most dominant high school swimming programs in history. BJ Bedford was also on that team, as was Jim Wells and Jane Skillman.
And even though he didn't have his greatest success at the Olympics, you could probably add Roque Santos to that group. His participation in Masters demonstrates longevity that is not really characteristic of a one-hit wonder. But on the international scene, Roque's crowning moment was the upset win over Barrowman in the 200 *** at the '92 trials.
One last favorite one-hit wonder was Sean Killion, the former American record holder in the 800 free (and 1992 Olympian in the 1500). He held the record for several years, but only went to the Olympics once, in one event, and didn't final. When I say he "only" went to one Olympics, that is of course a little tongue in cheek! Sean and I swam on the Willingboro Country Club team, and later at Jersey Wahoos.
SB
I am in agreement with you that its unfair calling these swimmers one-hit wonders because again the term applies to someone that is here today, gone the next. The majority of people are no hit wonders in swimming because they never know the pressures or process to get to be a one-hit wonders. I personally know someone's son that swam with all three of the people you mention here (Diebel, Sharp, Bedford) at the Peddie School under Chris Martin and he swam with me in the early 1990's in USMS. He used to tell me all sorts of stories about these swimmers. I will comment on each swimmer.
Nelson Diebel was very successfull before the 1992 Olympics winning 7 US Swimming National titles but if I remember correctly he was always getting into trouble and had disipline problems in his younger years. I remember reading an ariticle about him and the Peddie Schools swimmers back in 1990 and from I remember because of these exploits he was lucky to swimming at all. He went on to swim for Princeton but never regained the fire he had prior to the Olympics when he won the Gold medal and set an American Record. His victory over Norman Roza in the 100 *** was considered a major upset at the games because Norman was the double World Champion and favored to win. Nelson Diebel's win was the first Gold medal won in swimming for the USA at the start of the Olympics.
I have to disagree with you about Royce Sharp. True he did not place in the 200 Back after winning the Olympic Trials but he said that it was a case of being nervous and never facing pressure that made him swim almost 2 seconds slower than his best time. I believe he placed 11th but refused to swim in the consolation finals because he was dissappointed at not making the finals and medaling. Therefore he denied himself a chance to place by himself. He came back from this by placing 1st in the 200 meter Back at the 1993 Pan Pacific Championships going a 1:58.86, which was only .20 slower than is American Record. In 1994 at the World Championships in Rome he placed 3rd in the 200 with a time of 1:59.21. He was going to train for the 1996 Olympics but decided he did not want to risk the time after his college eligibility was up. All during this time he contributed to the 1995 NCAA Championship while swimming at University of Michigan.
BJ Bedford really struggled while trying to make the Olympic team after 4 tries. I believe she was a Gold medalist in 200 Back and a Silver medalist in the 100 Back at the 1993 Pan Pacific Championships. She was also a bronze medalist in the 1994 World Championships in the 100 Back. At the 1995 Pan American Games she was a double Gold medalist in both Backstrokes. With this success, she still came up short on her 3rd attempt to make an Olympic team. But the no hits from 3 attemps became a one hit in 2000. You can read the story linked here:
www.csi.org/.../Failure.htmwww.pacpubserver.com/.../bj.html
Also I have to disagree with you about Sean Killion. Sean is the only American swimmer to ever defeat Vladmir Salnikov in a distance free event at major championship. In fact the only other American to defeat Sanikov was Jeff Kostoff in a 400 SCM Free at a minor meet in 1983. Sean accomplished this at the 1986 Goodwill Games in the 400 Meter Free. It was a very close and exciting race with .09 separating the two swimmers. (3:51.91 to 3:52.00). What is impressive about this is that he did it in Moscow. No other American had ever done that even though everyone was looking forward to a Brian Goodell/Vladmir Salnikov showdown that was not to be because of the boycott. Sean Killion did not make the 1988 Olympic team but came back 4 years later to make the 1992 Olympic team. He held the American Record for 15 years in the 800 LCM Free and that is one of the longest AR ever even though American distance swimming was not what it once was when we were dominating in the World Rankings in the 1970's. Read his story here:
www.southjerseynews.com/.../vm030405b.htmwww.courierpostonline.com/.../m070305d.htm
I not sure about Rocque Santos. The only thing I remember about him besides his upset at the 1992 Olympic Trials is that he was part of probably the best workout combination of world class breastrokers when he was training with Mike Barrowman and Sergio Lopez. In fact both Barrowman and Lopez broke the World Record in the 200 *** at the 1990 Goodwill games and I believe that was the first World Record for Barrowman. All 3 of these guys training together with Yoseph Nagey in the early 1990's.